OF WASHINGTON. 113 



the Mexican Government, with the statement that they were de 

 stroying the pulp and seeds of custard apple (Anona glabra 

 and A. cherimolia) in Yautepec, Morelos, Mexico. The speci 

 mens of the fruit sent with the insects showed the burrows of 

 the beetles in the pulp and seed. The walls of the burrows are 

 apparently covered with a white substance resembling an am 

 brosia fungus. 



In April, 1906, Mr. H. Pittier, of the Bureau of Plant In 

 dustry of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, sent specimens 

 of the same beetle from Cauca, Colombia, South America, with 

 a statement that they were found injuring corn, but he failed 

 to send specimens of the work or to describe its character. 



On October 4, 1906, the Bureau of Entomology received 

 specimens of the same species from Mr. G. L. Fawcett, of the 

 Bureau of Plant Industry, with numerous injured fruits of the 

 red bay (Per sea barbonia) , found at Miami, Fla. Mr. Fawcett 

 suggested that the insect might prove to be injurious to the 

 avocado or alligator pear, which also belongs to the genus 

 Persea. Each fruit shows a single entrance through the thin 

 pulp and seed, and the inner portion of the seed was partially 

 or completely destroyed when received, but no evidence of the 

 immature stages was found. Therefore it may be that the 

 injury was due to a food habit of the adult, and that the broods 

 may develop in stems of graminaceous or herbaceous plants, 

 like corn, cane, palm, etc. 



Apparently this is the first record of the food habits of the 

 beetle and also the first record of a representative of the genus 

 Pagiocerus in the United States. 



Blandford a states that this species appears to be common and 

 widely distributed in tropical America. EichhofP described it 

 from specimens received from Cuba. Chapuis c records it from 

 Colombia, Chile, Brazil, and Cuba. In addition, Blandford re 

 cords it from Mexico, many localities in Guatemala, and one 

 locality in Panama. 



The only other described species of the genus is P. cribricollis 

 Eichh. from Brazil. 



The genus Pagiocerus comes near to Cnesinus, which is rep 

 resented in North America by C. strigicollis Lee., and is widely 

 distributed in the Eastern and Southern United States, and 

 extends into Mexico. This species has been found by Mr. 

 Schwarz boring in the wood of sweet gum (Liquidambar) and 

 the writer has found it in stems of the large smilax or green- 



* Biol. C.-Am., Coleoptera, Vol. iv, pt. 6. 

 b Berl. Ent. Zeitschr., 1868, p. 148. 

 c Syn. Scol., 1869, p. 26. 



